“The whole dissident idea attracts a lot of crazies. And then all of a sudden, without realizing it, you've become one of them." Peter Duesberg, 2009

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British women 'in denial' over growing HIV risk

British women are putting themselves at increasing risk of HIV infection,ccording to experts, with a new survey revealing that almost three-quarters have never been tested for the virus and a significant proportion admitting that nothing could persuade them to be examined. The poll of 1,000 adults in the UK has revealed that a false sense of security is seeing women neglecting to protect themselves against catching the virus.

"Over the past decade, this specific demographic has been hard hit with a steady rise in HIV infection," said Nancy Mahon, executive director of the MAC Aids Fund, which commissioned the research. "Our survey results expose significant gaps in HIV awareness and education among British women, leading to startlingly low assessments of risk of infection. Despite this epidemic in the UK, experts stress that women need to be re-alerted to the danger of having unprotected sex," she added. "They highlight the need for heightened awareness and education about safe sexual choices."

The survey found that 37% of British women who say they have engaged in sexual intercourse without a condom in the past five years were uncertain whether their partner was sleeping with other people. It also found that British women are in denial over the risk of infection. Up to 60% of those questioned admit they do not believe it is an issue affecting women in their community, with 73% never having been for a test. In addition, nearly one in six British women – 16% – admit that nothing could make them get tested for HIV.

"Popular reasoning when it comes to not using condoms includes trusting their partner is not HIV-positive (35%), using another form of birth control (35%), or simply a 'no-risk' attitude to sexually transmitted diseases (27%)," said Mahon. "But in addition to this low- or no-risk perception, British women feel they lack the power in their relationships to negotiate safe sex."

According to the Terrence Higgins Trust, the number of people contracting HIV as a result of heterosexual sex in the UK has been rising steadily over recent years. In 2008, nearly 7,300 were diagnosed, almost three times the 1998 figure and the third highest number of people diagnosed with HIV in a single year. Almost 60% of those diagnosed had acquired the infection through heterosexual contact.

"Since the mid-1990s, public and political complacency has grown about the risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in the UK," according to Lucy Handford of the Higgins trust. "Partly because of this, the number of new cases of HIV being diagnosed began to rise. Today, gay men continue to be most at risk from HIV, but the UK is also now very much a part of the global epidemic: there are now more people than ever before living with HIV in the UK."

HIV progresses faster in women than in men with similar levels of HIV in the blood. A possible reason, posited last year by American scientists, could be gender differences in the immune system. The increased virulence of the disease in women means early diagnosis is a crucial factor when determining how well treatments work and, ultimately, how well the patient will do over the long term. Despite the importance of swift diagnosis, 36% of HIV-positive women in the UK are in an advanced stage of the disease by the time they receive a diagnosis.

Women need to be re-alerted to the danger of having unprotected sex, said Dr Anke Ehrhardt, director of the HIV Centre for Clinical and Behavioural Studies in New York, and professor of medical psychology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons' department of psychiatry.

"Despite the widespread availability of condoms throughout the UK, women are not using them," she said. "We used to say in the 1980s that the HIV virus doesn't discriminate and anybody can become infected if exposed. But people always saw it as a discriminatory disease that affects only certain people. The continued lack of information hasn't helped to counter that stigma."

Ehrhardt says that starting sex education early, promoting strong female role models and continuing sexual education programmes would help to encourage women to get tested and use protection. "Integrated sex education is also imperative to reach women every time they are in a healthcare setting. Whether a woman is seeking primary health services, prenatal care or reproductive health services, education and testing should be top priorities for patients and medical professionals alike."

Kevin Osborne, senior HIV adviser at the International Planned Parenthood Federation, agreed. "We need to find ways of providing comprehensive service care for women – where it's not just an HIV service but enables women to seek out comprehensive health and other services in which HIV testing is an integrated part. We need to make standardised HIV testing a priority so that every woman knows their status and can make informed decisions."

11 comments:

Everyones in denial about everything according to you Seth. Perhaps we've just reached an overload of Doomsday scenarios with increasingly frantic messages of how if a virus or melting planet doesn't get us something else will. In the meantime most of us are just getting on with living. You keep digging your hermetically sealed bunker, then go sit in it.

AnonymousThanks for your string of comments.It is so helpful for people to see. We all know you would have to be an idiot to listen to anything that the likes of Duesberg and Rasnick have to say. Where else can a paranoid find information to trust if not from another paranoid? You are a classic! Not a clue. The truth is that most of the population has sufficient coping resources to deal with HIV/AIDS. It is the sad few who look to the Denialists for the shelter of false hope. Hopefully you will just go away.

"Just backs up the notion of no epidemic of HIV just an epidemic of testing."

...despite the study stating that "Despite the importance of swift diagnosis, 36% of HIV-positive women in the UK are in an advanced stage of the disease by the time they receive a diagnosis."

Yep, these women still coming down with symptoms of advanced AIDS despite not getting tested (until they have already shown symptoms). Kinda debunks the "no epidemic of HIV just an epidemic of testing".

Seth, I think this study clearly shows the time-traveling properties of stress. Clearly the order of events goes:

1) Women come down with symptoms of AIDS.2) Women get tested for HIV and come back positive.3) Women get stressed.4) Stress travels back through time, causing non-specific antibodies (hence the positive test) and AIDS symptoms.5) Go back to #1.

These denialists have proven time-travel not only possible but occurring right here under our noses. Give them all Nobel Prizes in Physics!

Poodle Stomper...An alternative explanation is that Law and Order SVU episode. You know, the Maggiore Story. It aired much later in the UK than in the US. The delayed showing explains how an entire population of women can suffer the same fate as Christine. The episode is now hitting syndication, so we can expect to see a lot more of this.

Reading those comments by Anonymous really worries me. Can anyone be that ignorant? I can see how someone may not understand all of the details and nuances. But can anyone really be that out of touch with reality and still operate a keyboard? He/she must be kidding.Right?

From the article:According to the Terrence Higgins Trust, the number of people contracting HIV as a result of heterosexual sex in the UK has been rising steadily over recent years. In 2008, nearly 7,300 were diagnosed, almost three times the 1998 figure and the third highest number of people diagnosed with HIV in a single year. Almost 60% of those diagnosed had acquired the infection through heterosexual contact.AND..."Over the past decade, this specific demographic has been hard hit with a steady rise in HIV infection," said Nancy Mahon, executive director of the MAC Aids Fund, which commissioned the research.

I wonder how the Denialists will spin this to say HIV can not be spread via heterosexual sex ala the Padian Study??JTD

JTDBill just tried to post a comment on Padian. He is still banned from doing so.

It has been more than 2 months since Bill went off on the Padian rant and was asked to read and respond to a 7 or 8 page review paper on heterosexual transmission of HIV published in Lancet by Boily et al. Bill has not produced any showing evidence that he has even read the paper much less its implications for the AIDS Denialist rant on HIV (which does not exist?) being sexually transmitted during vaginal intercourse.

Bill can start commenting again once he explains Boily et all. or states that he cannot read and understand the paper - which I am afraid is the reality. Like some many AIDS Deniers, Bill can only regurgitate what he reads on dumb ass websites like Rethinking AIDS.Oh well, it was nice to have his comments on this blog.

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AIDS Denialism on Law & Order

If you missed the Law & Order episode 'Retro' on AIDS denialism you will want to see the 2-minute Replay. This episode portrays a woman who denies she has HIV in which she and her infant daughter both die of AIDS. Sound familiar? Click the pic to watch.

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In Denying AIDS, Seth Kalichman provides a fascinating look into the thinking of those who propagate AIDS myths and the negative impact they have on our response to a deadly disease. He shows us how AIDS pseudoscience confuses the public and threatens sound public health policy. Anyone who cares about the global HIV/AIDS pandemic should read this book. Helene D. Gayle, Chair of the 2009 US Presidential Council on AIDS, CEO CARE USA, former Assistant Surgeon GeneralSeth Kalichman brilliantly uses a psychological lens to expose the wacky world that creates and maintains its presence despite the untold numbers of deaths and suffering it has caused. This book is a wake up call to policy makers and scientists, particularly in places most affected by the pandemic, that denialism must be confronted if we want to bring it under control. A must read for those who want to know more about the power and influence of pseudoscience.Michael Merson, Director, Global Health Institute at Duke University and Former Director of the World Health Organization's Global Program on AIDS.

This excellent book examines the detailed history of HIV/AIDS denialism as well as its damaging impact throughout the world. HIV/AIDS denialism and its proponents have created confusion when the clear provision of scientifically accurate communication was most needed.James Curran, Dean of the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Former Director of the CDC HIV/AIDS Division.

Seth Kalichman has superbly captured the contradictions inherent in AIDS denialism. He has deftly uncovered its religious-like fervor, its vociferous proponents and passionate opponents as well as its destructive force when legitimized by the South African President.Salim S. Abdool Karim, Member of the 2000 South African Presidential Panelon AIDS, Professor at University of KwaZulu-Natal, and Director of Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)

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